Before recordings, before microphones, before jazz had a name—there was Butler “String Beans” May.

Standing Up Singing is a bold, lyrical excavation of one of America’s greatest unsung performers. At just 24 years old, May had already conquered Black vaudeville, redefined piano comedy, and ignited stages from New Orleans to Chicago. He was wild, brilliant, hilarious, and unrecorded. And then—he vanished. No grave. No obituary. Just whispers.

Told through the voice of a weathered jazz sideman who saw it all, this book is a rhythm-driven, soul-deep biography that swings between history and memory. From Southern tent shows and cooch joints to cutting contests and backstage brawls, Butler May’s story unfolds not as myth—but as testimony. You’ll meet the lovers, rivals, hustlers, and geniuses who surrounded him, and discover how his voice echoes in the roots of comedy, jazz, rap, and performance today.

This is not a cleaned-up legend. It’s a painful, powerful resurrection. With each chapter grounded in exhaustive historical research, oral tradition, and vivid storytelling, String Beans returns to claim his place at the center of American cultural invention.

If you care about jazz history, Black performance, lost geniuses, or the electricity of a life lived loud and fast—this is the book.

Because some men disappear. Others haunt the culture forever.